Friday, December 09, 2016

CHILE - Cardinal Ezzati: "The Church's doors are open to welcome and share the wealth of different cultures"

On Sunday, December 4, a group of Haitian citizens received the
sacrament of Confirmation in the parish of San Saturnino in Santiago del
Chile, and on this occasion the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal
Ricardo Ezzati, who presided the ceremony, defended the immigrants.

According to the note sent to Fides from a local source, last week a
discussion on immigration policy in Chile took place.

In this regard,
the Cardinal said that "the Church of Santiago, through the Chilean
Catholic Institute of Migration and many priests who accompany the many
foreign brothers, lives a special experience, because the doors are open
to welcome, integrate and share the wealth that these different
cultures have".
During the ceremony, presided over by Cardinal Ezzati and the parish
priest of San Saturnino, Father Juan Carlos Cortez, 15 Haitians received
Confirmation, eight of whom were also baptized.
"The Lord comes into our lives in every moment of our existence, in a
very special way for those brothers who are here to receive the
sacrament of Confirmation. The Lord enters in their history for they are
men and women of faith, when they open the doors to God", said Cardinal
Ezzati.
According to the parish of San Saturnino, in the last two years more
than 45,000 Haitian citizens arrived in Chile. Of these 450 have been
welcomed into the community and participate in training activities
(Spanish language courses), catechesis, social assistance, solidarity
and workshops to learn a trade.
A survey published by a national newspaper reported that 85% of Chileans
want the expulsion of immigrants with legal problems, and 75% consider
it necessary to impose restrictions on immigration.

The government
initiated the political debate on the subject in recent days, in view of
a revision of the immigration law.